Interrupter for ignition-dynamos.



APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12, 1911.

Patented Feb. 13,1912.

WWI-I m mark NAWE A TTOR/VEY.

CHARIiES 'I. MASON, OF SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA.

INTFRRUPTER FOR IGNITION-DYNAMOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

Application filed January 12, 1911. Serial No. 602,170.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES THOMAS MASON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sumter, in the county of Sumter and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Interrupters for Ignition-Dynamos; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same', reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of'reference marked thereon, which form a part of this ,soecification.

My invention relates to an improved inte'rrupter for dynamos used with ignition systems for internal combustion engines, and consists in a new arrangement of the contact mechanism and the casing therefor, resulting in a simplified durable structure in which the various parts may be examined while the dynamo is running, the contact points being so located that they are easily accessible and fully protected from the oil used in lubricating the moving parts of th device.

Many other advantages of-the invention ,will mcome apparent as the same is more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example, an embodiment of this invention, Figure 1, is a view in elevation of an interrupter embodying the invention, shown mounted on a magneto.

This view is shown partly in section, and

with its cover portion removed inorder to show the main working parts of the device. Fig. 2, is a plan view of the upper portion of the interrupter, and Fig. 3,-is a side view of Fig. 1, with parts in section, and with the cap of the interrupter removed.

Similar reference characters refer to similar partsthroughout the drawings.

I illustrate my device as being mounted on a magneto generator of the usual type, the permanent magnets of which are indicated at As it is well known to those skilled in the art, the armature of such a magnet-o may have one or more windings,

and the interrupter is usually bridged on,

or otherwise suitably arranged, in relation to one'of these windings.

The end plate 34: of the magneto is provided with a circular projecting hub 34: which may form a bearing for the armature shaft 28 which projects therefrom. About this projecting port-ion ,is suitably positioned the casing 19, held in placehythe plate 32, said plate being attached tothe hub by the screws 31 and 43. The end portion of the armature shaft 28 carries a cam 29, against which bears the roller 26 suitably supported as shown at 27 on the contact .ir-ember 18,

this member being held in position against the cam by suitable means such as the spring 21 attached to the pins 22 and 25 which are 1 is placed in the front of it as shown. The

screw 13 is provided for adjusting spring 2, an opening being provided in the casing 19 to permit this adjustment, and, oiling of the bearing 15, this opening being normally closed by a cover 14 held in place by a screw The upper portion of the casing 19 is shaped to form a circular head as shown, in

bottom of this portion of the casing throughwhich a circuit wire may be brought for connection to terminal 8, thereby completely inclosing this connection and protecting same from dirt, moisture, or oil.

Casing 19 is provided with a front plate 41 which is attached at points 10, 11, 20, and 30, by means of screws indicated at 40 and 44. or in any other suitablemanner. It is obvious that this platecan be'removed to inspect the working parts without disturbing the top cap 3 as it ends below this cap as indicated at 39. This eliminates the necessity of removing cap .3, or exposing the contacts when-oiling or inspecting the other parts. The casing 19" is mounted on the hub.

cuit connected therewith. l-leretofore, thesecontact points and in fact the entire mecha msm have been inclosed 1n a much smaller casing than mine, provided with a single cover or cap, and usually mounted on the end of the armature shaft, one side of this circuit being brought out through the cover,

or terminating on a single terminal thereon. Therefore it was impossible to test the dynamo while runningwith the cap removed asthis removal broke the'circuit. By my improved construction the cap'3 may be removed thereby exposing the contact points without breaking the circuit, and by means of the screw 6 fineadjustments can be made while the interrupter is in motion, as this contact does not revolve or move as is the case with other devices. It will also be ob- .served that the location of the contact points is alyvays practically vertical, and the points being located at the highest point of the casing, it is impossible for the oil used for lubricating the bearing and roller "in piece 18, to reach these contacts and cause a bad "electrical connection. It is also obvious that these parts may be freely lubricated without removing thecap 3 by slightly shifting cover 41, and .the bottom of the casing could be filled with oil, whereas, in other types, it is necessary to use the oil very sparingly as the contacts are in close proximity to the moving parts and soon become coated if eXcessoil-is used, thereby causing sparking and trouble. There is always danger of accidentally'squirting oil on the cont acts in other types as they are located in the same compartment as the moving parts, and are not protected in any way.

As the contact adjusting mechanism pro jects freely upward, it is much more accessible than in other types, the ample space '35 permitting the contact spring 2 to be drawn away, thereby separating the contact points 4: and 4: for cleaning without changing the screw adjustment. Heretofore,

these parts have been verysmall and mounted in such a manner that the opening ob-v tainable between them was only the normal opening caused by the cam and they could' not be farther drawn apart for cleaning orexamination, nor could they be cleaned while the machine was running which can be done with my invention.

1 consider the method of piecing the contact points where they are substantially on a line withthe top or side of't-he dynamo, one of the important features of my invention, and it is obvious that the entire casing may be normally positioned with the contacts to the side of the dynamo instead of the top, without render-- ing them inaccessible or departing from my invention. g i l I As the armature shaft carrying the camrotates, it is evident that, by varying the position of the roller 26 in relation to the cam as that "the time of the opening and closing of the contact points may be varied. I accomplish this by rotating the casing and its contents in relation to the armature shaft by means ofa wire or rod in the usual manner, and limit this motion by providing a slot 23min ,the. plate 32, said slot engaging is evidentithat the casing is at liberty to move only t fthe extent; of the slot 23.

l/Vhile I have shown onlyone shape of cam and have described my device as applied to a-machine having a rotating armature, it is obvious that cams of other shapes maybe used, so as to produce more than two interruptions per revolution, and that the motion imparted to the armature may be osci11atory instead of rotary, and in magnetos using a distributer driven from the armature, the interrupter cam may be operated by the distributor shaft instead of the armature shaft or in any other suitable manner.

There are many other modifications which may be made without departing frointhe spirit of my invention by those skilled in the art, so I do not limit myself to the precise construction and method of operation herein disclosed.

I claim,

.1. In an interrupter for ignition dynamos, a casing, contact :me'chanism positioned therein, the contacts projecting vertically from said casing, and a cover for the (casing,

2. In an interrupter for ignition dynamos, a casing having an open end and side, a

- cover for the side, a Cap for the end, ,con-

tacts inclosed by said cap, contact mechanism'inclosed by the side and casing, and i 115 means for oiling the mechanism without 'removing the cap or cover. .3. In an interrupter for ignition dynamos, a casing,an opening in the side of the casing aand a cover therefor, contact mechanism in said casing, contacts projecting from and opening in the casing and a cap for the opening.

l. An mterrupterfor ignition dynamos comprising a casing having a removable side,-'a spring cont-rolled contact lever posi- .tioned in said casing, 21. contact connected to said lever, means for adjusting said contact, a fixed contact carried by said casing, lnsula- 'tion between one of the contacts and the a means for adjusting the fixed concasing,

i a' projection 24 on the casing, from which it I tact in relation to the movable contact, and means inclosed by the cover of the casing limiting the movement thereof.

' 5. An interrupter mechanism for ignition dynamos comprising a which incloses a cam and the end of a lever, the other end supporting an'insulate'rl contact, acontaet. omthe lever registering with the insulated contact, a bearing intermediate casing one the two ends of the lever for supporting same, means inclosed in the casing for restrainifig'the movement of thelever, a cover for theca sing,' and an independent cover for that portion of the casinginclosi contacts.

. 6 In an interrupter tion dynamos, a casing the'loi ver' carried b Copies of this patent may itital'lieh end of mechanism for'igniend of which surrounds a cam, a projecting portion of the casing containing a bearing, a m0.vable contact lever mounted on said bearingand engaging the cam, means for keeping the lever in contact with the cam, 'a contact- "the upperend of said contact-j leversai cont-act projecting freely frqm ng' the the open end of the projecting portion of the casing, an adjustable contact member carried by the casing but' insulated therefrom, a cover for the side of the casing, and 'a cap for-the open end of the projecting portion.

7. In an interrupter mechanism for igni- --tion"dyn amos, the combination with a dynamo of an, end plate having a' circular groove therein, a casing, the edge of which is carried in said groove, contact mechanism in said casing, means actuated by the dynamo for opera-ting said cont-act mechanism,

a cover1for the side of said casing, contacts verticallypositioned in said casing and projecting from the end thereof, means foradjusting said contacts and means for inclos ing said cont-acts. v 5

In testimony whereof I hereunto affixmy- ,signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES T. MASON. \Vitnesses':

E. M. HALL, H. R. VAN DEVENTER.

ivg gents each, b'y addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Wa'slitngt'on, 13. 6.? 

